Prices to drop soon for Canon, Nikon....?

[FarQinell]

The sky high yen is resulting in almost unheard of monthly trade deficits for Japan.
Japan is now targeting 90 Yen/USD early next year instead of the current 79.
Could result in significant price drops or discounts for Canon, Nikon etc. as they compete for market share.
So folks wait till next year before buying big ticket items and sell your old gear now!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/9626542/Japan-to-join-currency-wars-as-exports-slump.html

[PeterJ]

Not at economist but Canon, Nikon and Sony are all Japanese so what difference would it make? They might drop the price in Yen to match current $US pricing so as not to drop volume from price shock in bigger markets, but I would have thought more likely if with all the major DSLR players being Japanese it would cause prices to go up if anything.

Don't forget a high currency sucks for exporters, their employees still want to buy sushi at the same price locally (couldn't help that stereotype ) and will expect the same Yen in their pay packet, but that will be worth more in international currency and cost more for international customers.

Edit: just re-read your message and they are planning to try and drop it. Anyway it will make a difference of < 10% and I suspect lots of their manufacturing costs are tied to other countries so really would expect any real difference to be much less than that.

[Nishi Drew]

Wish they'd try to match the cost in the states IN THEY'RE OWN COUNTRY at least, with currency exchange most retailers are selling a Mk3 for $3800 or above!! The cheapest "discount" deals are the same as buying overseas and shipping it anyways. Oh well, gotta drop the price sometime, people who wanted what's already out got it, now it's for those that won't quite pay for what they're asking for on the street.
As for the yen to dollar going up to 90 yen, that could actually mean the cameras would go up in price, hopefully it's as you hope and it goes down the US side...

[Plainsman]

Sony and Panasonic reduced to junk status by Fitch:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/9695079/Sony-and-Panasonic-cut-to-junk-status-by-Fitch.html

Could Canon be far behind?

Japan is desperate to lower the very high yen exchange rate and will implement policies to lower the rate - if it can.

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Sony and Panasonic reduced to junk status by Fitch:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/9695079/Sony-and-Panasonic-cut-to-junk-status-by-Fitch.html

Could Canon be far behind?

You do know that the current trouble with Panasonic, Sony, and Sharp is all about big time losses in the Television sector?  Sony is also losing big on the mobile phone business.
Sony continues to spend on Photography Development because they are at least making a profit there. 
http://shop.usa.canon.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductListingViewAll_10051_10051_-1_109758
 
Canon barely made a Billion dollars last quarter, they do not seem to be in bad shape.  The simple reason is that they have concentrated on reducing manufacturing costs.  They have never tried to spend a extra penny to build the best of the best.  They are happy with a good performing product that they can sell for less and make a bigger profit.  Thats how they got to be #1, so don't expect them to stop doing what works.
 
Nikon is suffering big reductions in profit dollars, but still making around 6.4% of sales, which is OK.

[Plainsman]

Sony and Panasonic reduced to junk status by Fitch:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/9695079/Sony-and-Panasonic-cut-to-junk-status-by-Fitch.html

Could Canon be far behind?

You do know that the current trouble with Panasonic, Sony, and Sharp is all about big time losses in the Television sector?  Sony is also losing big on the mobile phone business.
Sony continues to spend on Photography Development because they are at least making a profit there. 
http://shop.usa.canon.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductListingViewAll_10051_10051_-1_109758
 
Canon barely made a Billion dollars last quarter, they do not seem to be in bad shape.  The simple reason is that they have concentrated on reducing manufacturing costs.  They have never tried to spend a extra penny to build the best of the best.  They are happy with a good performing product that they can sell for less and make a bigger profit.  Thats how they got to be #1, so don't expect them to stop doing what works.
 
Nikon is suffering big reductions in profit dollars, but still making around 6.4% of sales, which is OK.

The Japanese economy is being hollowed out just as has happened in the US and most of Europe.
More and more Canon DSLR and lens production will be transferred to China perhaps eventually leaving only HQ and the design bureau in Japan.
It's globalisation after all - which dictates mass production at the lowest possible cost. We all want cheap lenses don't we?
That's the price of having a hard currency.